Nike has decided to expand its creative agency roster, and will begin moving some pieces of business away from longtime agency Wieden & Kennedy, a company spokesman told AdAge.com.
said.
“As our business grows, our brand communications must also continue to evolve to meet an increasingly challenging marketplace,” said Dean Stoyer, Nike's U.S. media relations director. “Our recent announcement about a category alignment provides an opportunity to re-evaluate our creative resources and partnerships.”
Nike traditionally has divided its business into footwear, apparel and equipment, with the footwear group handling everything from basketball to soccer shoes. Under a reorganization, Nike created six global categories: running, basketball, soccer, women's fitness; men's training; soccer, and sports culture. Each category is responsible for all its elements; for example, the women's fitness group encompasses shoes, apparel, and equipment. Nike, in a January news release, said its sports-culture business will be handled across all consumer categories.
Stoyer did not elaborate on any immediate changes, but AdAge said its been known for some time that the company has been speaking with Miami hot shop Crispin Porter & Bogusky. While it is rumored that the running shoe account will be first up for grabs, executives close to Nike said the relatively small baseball account may actually have already been reassigned to a new agency.
Nike spent $220 million in measured media in the U.S. in 2006, and $200 million in 2005, according to TNS Media Intelligence.
Mr. Stoyer said this wasn't a wholesale shift away from Wieden.
“You will certainly continue to see Nike working with Wieden & Kennedy,” he said. “Nike has always looked to a variety of partners in various areas of demand creation to keep things fresh and on the cutting edge. With an increasingly challenging marketplace we are even more committed to staying out in front of where and how our consumers are engaging with our brand.”
